Posted on 07/30/2003 8:47:02 AM PDT by bigsky
As expected, Senate Democrats on Tuesday refused to end their partisan filibuster of the nomination of Priscilla Owen to the 5th Circuit. Owen, unanimously rated "well-qualified" by the American Bar Association, was defeated in the Judiciary Committee last year when the Democrats were running the Senate but was renominated by the President this year.
Today, Democrats have the opportunity to do the right thing and end their blockade of the nomination of Miguel Estrada to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. But they won't. They cannot stand the idea of a Hispanic who does not fit their model sitting on one of the most influential lower courts in the nation, the D.C. Circuit Court.
Instead, they will vote, for the seventh time this year, to continue their filibuster by rejecting the GOP's motion to invoke cloture.
Just like yesterday, Democrats will excuse their unconstitutional behavior by claiming that they are "protecting" the judiciary and, thereby the American people, by keeping a nominee so "outside the mainstream" of public opinion off the bench.
When the ideology argument runs thin, Democrats will claim that Estrada and the White House have not been completely forthcoming with the information they want on Mr. Estrada's writings. The problem is the information they want (memoranda from the Solicitor General's office) are confidential.
So, then they will claim that Miguel Estrada does not have enough experience. That is easily countered by the fact that he has argued 15 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and has received the American Bar Association's unanimous rating of "well-qualified" – the highest rating possible.
What, then, is the problem? Miguel Estrada has shown that he will never be a liberal activist judge – something upon which Democrats rely heavily when they can't achieve their liberal agenda through legislation.
The American people know strident partisanship and demagoguery when they hear it, and they will see through the Democrats' excuses now just as they did in the elections last November.
Of course the RATS won't stop the filabuster of Owen. And they won't on Estrada, either. They won't stop because they don't have to. They won't stop until the Pubs grow some cojones and invoke the "nuclear option." I've read the Pubs want to wait on this option until the fall after all the "important" legislation for the year is passed. OK but me, but only if they follow through.
Correct, and their obstructionism goes largely unreported in the liberal media thanks to their subservient acolytes in the press. If the continuing fillibusters received accurate coverage in the media, it might put pressure on the Rats to stop. But a friendly media will ensure that that ain't gonna happen. Just imagine, if you will, how the media would be all over this if the tables were turned. There would be an avalanche of condemnation heaped upon Republicans.
Since the term "ideology" is being applied to anything the Democrats don't like, it should run thin pretty soon.
I know a lot of Hispanics who need to hear about this.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.